In one aspect this invention relates to treadways used for loading and positioning, vehicles as cargo. In a further aspect this invention relates to devices used to position and hold vehicles when being transported.
A cargo transport when used to transport wheeled vehicles can be constructed with longitudinally extending treadways. When used in aircraft they are located and positioned within the aircraft to distribute vehicle weight and position the wheeled vehicle during transit. To load a vehicle within the cargo carrier; i.e., an airplane, a ramp, generally at the rear of the plane is lowered and the vehicle is driven onto the plane on ramps connected to the treadways. To ensure that the treadways maintain their integrity and prevent possible damage which might be caused by overloading, safety and cargo experts place an upper limit on the wheeled vehicle's weight. This restriction is necessary to ensure that the unit area loads applied to the treadway are below the level at which damage to the treadway occurs. The maximum weight can be expressed in terms of vehicle weight per tire or axle, i.e. 6500 pounds per wheel. In general, this wheel weight limitation effectively limits the maximum vehicle weight and many times the cargo weight caused by unit load restriction is below the maximum weight which the cargo carrier can effectively handle. Thus, the treadway load limit becomes the limiting factor on vehicle weight.
The wheel load problem can be particularly pronounced with construction equipment. Construction equipment is frequently weighted on one end so it is stable when used. This weighting can create very high wheel loads. In order to transport such vehicles the weighting must be removed prior to transport. Removing the weights or other ancillary equipment requires time, tools and personnel at both the departure and arrival points. This consumes valuable time and resources. Under battle conditions, the time is most important since the vehicle is being transported to perform a service immediately. The delay can severly hamper the effort and proponent availability of the vehicle at arrival is desirable.
It would be desirable to provide a transport device associated with the treadway which would spread the effective load over a broader area and give the wheeled vehicle a bigger "foot print" so that the treadway strength is not the limiting factor. It would also be desirable if the device provided helped position and hold the vehicle on the treadway during transit. The present invention also allows the transport of weighted vehicles without the necessity of removing the weights to lighten or balance the load.